


A Sailing Lesson

by conceptstage



Series: Critical Fiction [19]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Found Family, I know nothing about sailing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 15:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16121027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: Somehow Fjord ends up teaching a class in the middle of the deck but he's not even mad.





	A Sailing Lesson

“Will you teach me?” Beau asked, stepping up behind him.

“Eeyah!” Fjord exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his skin. He turned around to Beau’s amused smirk and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Damn it, Beau, did you do that on purpose?” He sighed heavily and ran a hand through is hair. “What, what did you want?”

“Will you teach me. To sail.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” He stepped away from the wheel to let her take over and she shook her head.

“No, I mean, yeah eventually, but I was more interested in all the little things down there,” she said, gesturing to the main area of the ship where a few of the deck hands wandered around doing various things. “There is so much that goes into making this thing move and I’m kind… I’m kind of fascinated. It’s like a clockwork, right? One thing is off and the whole thing goes to shit. I just wanna know how it works, I guess.”

Fjord couldn’t help a small smile and nodded again, leading her out into the main area with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, I can do that. Out here is where I’m more comfortable anyway, this is what I spent most of life doing. First thing about sailing that you need to understand is the wind. Know when it’s on your side and when it’s not because that informs everything you do from there out. Currents are important too, but if the wind’s on your side you can go against most currents. Plus, currents are harder, we’ll get into those another day, it’s a whole thing. Wind you just-” he popped his finger in his mouth quickly to get it a little wet and then held his hand aloft. Beau copied him and heard a pop to his left. When he looked he saw Jester and Nott listening to him and they each audibly popped their fingers out of their mouths. “Oh, uh, you guys wanna lesson too?”

Jester grinned and nodded and Nott clapped her hands excitedly. “It’s like a bonding exercise! It’ll make us closer as a family.”

“Uh, sure.” He cleared his throat and pulled down nervously on the ends of his shirt. “Let’s start with the sail. This is when it's important to know the wind. If you’re going against the wind, the sail should be in, because…” he paused to give them a chance to answer.

“Because if the sail catches the wind going against you, you will not move forward,” Caleb said, taking a seat on the ground next to Nott. The little goblin moved over into his lap. Jester nodded and sat on the deck beside the wizard with her legs criss crossed in front of her. Beau sat down too, but she reclined back like she was relaxing after a hard day, one knee bent and the other laid out flat.

“Yes, that's right, Caleb.” Beau could see him getting more sure of himself as he talked. She glanced up briefly when Caduceus wandered over with Yasha to both loom over the rest of them and listen closely. She grinned and turned back to Fjord who was more comfortable than she had seen him in days as he went over common types of knots they’d encounter and want to practice.

“Teacher!” Jester delightedly called, waving her hand in the air with a shit eating grin on her face. “Oh, teacher!”

Fjord gave her an indulgent look but couldn’t keep himself from giving her a little smile. “Yes, Jester?”

“I am already very at good at knots.”

He looked intrigued by that. “Oh really?”

“Oh, yes, I know how to securely and comfortably tie somebody to a bed.”

Fjord’s face turned red as everyone laughed and he awkwardly cleared his throat, twisting his fingers nervously. “Th-These are not those kinds of knots, Jester.”

“Oh. Proceed then.”


End file.
